Sports Medicine Division Injured Runner Clinic

Contact the Sports Medicine Division

Since 35 to 75 percent of runners need medical treatment each year for running-related injuries, running safely is crucial. The Injured Runners Clinic at Boston Children’s Hospital was developed to help runners of all ages and abilities who have chronic injuries.

The Injured Runners Clinic is very similar to our Sports Medicine Clinic. In addition to a clinical office visit with a sports medicine physician to address your injury, runners will receive a gait analysis and potentially other specialized services (such as compartment testing). All of this helps the physician identify the injury, its cause and ideas for preventing future recurrences.

Please note: patients need to be referred to this clinic.

The visit is covered by most insurance providers, but check with your insurance representative for more information.

Scheduling an appointment

Injury Prevention

Helpful Injury Prevention Tips for Runners

Whether you’re a casual runner or are training for a marathon, it’s important to know how to safely prevent injuries. Since each body is unique, these tips aren’t meant to take the place of professional assessment, but to offer general information on safety and prevention.

• Keep tabs on how well hydrated you are. Runners should lose around 2 percent of water weight from a long run, so
weigh yourself (stripped down) before and after your run to monitor the change. If you’ve gained weight, you may
be drinking too much water, which can be dangerous.
• Replenish your muscles with protein as soon as possible after a run. Chocolate milk can help replenish muscles with
protein, carbohydrates and calcium after a high-endurance workout.
• Take time to fully recover.

If you are a healthy runner looking for an evaluation, please refer to The Micheli Center for further injury prevention programs.

Common Running Injuries

Runners often encounter joint, muscle, tendon and bone injuries, often due to overuse, accidents or biomechanics. Boston Children’s physicians have experience treating these conditions, establishing recovery plans and educating patients to prevent further injuries.